In July 2021, Pope Francis issued the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, a document that significantly restricted the celebration of the Extraordinary Form, reversing the broader permissions granted by Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum. The Vatican cited a 2020 survey of bishops, conducted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), as a key factor in this decision, with Pope Francis stating that the survey revealed a situation that “preoccupies and saddens me, and persuades me of the need to intervene.”
This move sparked intense debate, particularly among traditionalist Catholics who felt the decision undermined their liturgical preferences. Among the voices amplifying this controversy was Diane Montagna, a senior American journalist and Vatican correspondent, whose reporting in 2021 and 2025 alleged that the Vatican misrepresented the survey’s findings to justify Traditionis Custodes. However, Montagna’s claims, which stirred significant attention, have since been met with silence—both from her and her supporters—raising questions about their validity, her motives, and the dynamics of engagement farming within traditionalist Catholic circles.
This blog post examines Montagna’s allegations, her subsequent silence on the matter, and the implications of her approach. It argues that her selective reporting, failure to address counterevidence, and lack of follow-up suggest a pattern of deceit aimed at exploiting the emotions of traditionalist Catholics for engagement and influence, rather than a commitment to truth. By analyzing her claims, the Vatican’s response, and the broader context of traditionalist media, this post will highlight how Montagna’s narrative fits into a larger trend of sensationalism that prioritizes gossip over reality.
The Context: Traditionis Custodes and the 2020 Bishops’ Survey
To understand Montagna’s claims, we must first consider the backdrop of Traditionis Custodes. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum liberalized access to the Extraordinary Form, allowing priests to celebrate it without special permission and recognizing it as the “Extraordinary Form” of the Roman Rite. This move aimed to foster unity by accommodating traditionalist Catholics while affirming the Ordinary Form (the post-Vatican II Mass) as the normative liturgy. However, by 2020, concerns arose in the Vatican about the Extraordinary Form’s role in fostering division, particularly among groups rejecting the Second Vatican Council’s liturgical reforms.
In response, Pope Francis commissioned the CDF to survey bishops worldwide on the implementation of Summorum Pontificum. The survey, conducted between spring 2020 and January 2021, asked bishops about the Extraordinary Form’s impact in their dioceses, including its pastoral necessity, influence on seminaries, and any associated challenges. The CDF compiled a 224-page report, which included a detailed analysis and a summary with an “Overall Assessment” (Giudizio Complessivo). Pope Francis cited this survey in his July 2021 letter accompanying Traditionis Custodes, noting that it revealed issues requiring intervention, such as the use of the Extraordinary Form to “widen gaps, reinforce divergences, and encourage disagreements that injure the Church.”
Enter Diane Montagna. In July 2021, and more prominently in July 2025, Montagna published articles on her Substack claiming to have obtained parts of the CDF’s report, specifically the Overall Assessment and a collection of bishops’ quotations. She argued that the survey showed widespread bishop satisfaction with Summorum Pontificum, contradicting the Vatican’s rationale for Traditionis Custodes. Her July 1, 2025, article, titled “EXCLUSIVE: Official Vatican Report Exposes Major Cracks in Foundation of Traditionis Custodes,” alleged that the Vatican misrepresented the survey to justify restricting the Extraordinary Form, with some commentators even accusing Pope Francis of lying. Her follow-up on July 10, 2025, doubled down, citing additional excerpts and challenging Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni’s dismissal of her documents as “partial and incomplete.” These claims gained traction, with her initial X post garnering over 1 million views.
Montagna’s Claims: A Closer Look
Montagna’s central assertion is that the CDF’s 2020 survey showed that most bishops who responded were satisfied with Summorum Pontificum and opposed changes to it, suggesting that Traditionis Custodes was based on a false premise. She cited the Overall Assessment, which reportedly stated that “the majority of bishops who responded to the questionnaire, and who have generously and intelligently implemented the MP Summorum Pontificum, ultimately express satisfaction with it,” and that altering it “would cause more harm than good.” She also highlighted positive comments, such as those from Archbishop Allen Vigneron, who praised Summorum Pontificum for fostering ecclesial peace, and noted the Extraordinary Form’s appeal to younger Catholics and converts.
However, Montagna’s reporting has significant flaws. First, she only published excerpts of the report’s second part (the summary), not the full 224-page document, which includes detailed, continent-by-continent analysis. This selective presentation raises concerns about cherry-picking data to support her narrative. For instance, a leaked survey from France, not addressed by Montagna, reportedly highlighted the Extraordinary Form’s negative impact on Church unity in some dioceses, aligning with Pope Francis’s stated concerns. Second, her claim that the Vatican misrepresented the survey assumes that Pope Francis asserted a majority of bishops demanded restrictions, which he did not. His letter emphasized a “situation” requiring intervention, not a universal consensus.
Moreover, the Vatican’s response, via Matteo Bruni, undermines Montagna’s narrative. On July 3, 2025, Bruni described her documents as “a very partial and incomplete reconstruction of the decision-making process,” suggesting that Pope Francis relied on additional, confidential reports. Montagna dismissed this, arguing that Traditionis Custodes only cited the bishops’ survey, but she failed to provide evidence that these other reports did not exist or were irrelevant. The Vatican’s silence on the documents’ authenticity further weakens her case, as does the fact that the CDF’s Fourth Section, which compiled the report, was formerly the Ecclesia Dei Commission, tasked with overseeing Summorum Pontificum. This group had a vested interest in presenting the Extraordinary Form favorably, potentially skewing the Overall Assessment.
The Silence: Montagna’s Failure to Follow Up
Since her July 2025 articles, Montagna has not revisited her claims about the CDF survey or addressed the Vatican’s counterarguments. Her Substack and X posts have shifted focus to other topics, such as Pope Leo XIV’s message on the Hiroshima anniversary or critiques of Amoris Laetitia. This silence is striking, given the gravity of her accusations. If her documents truly exposed Vatican deceit, one would expect ongoing advocacy, especially as traditionalist Catholics continue to debate Traditionis Custodes. Instead, her lack of updates suggests either an inability to substantiate her claims further or a deliberate choice to move on after generating significant attention.
This silence aligns with a pattern of engagement farming, where sensational claims are made to capture attention but not sustained with rigorous follow-through. Montagna’s initial posts were amplified by prominent traditionalist figures like Dr. Peter Kwasniewski and Damian Thompson, who called her report a “BOMBSHELL” and accused Pope Francis of lying. Yet, these supporters have also largely dropped the issue, with no significant push for the Vatican to release the full survey or for Pope Leo XIV to retract Traditionis Custodes. This collective forgetting suggests that the controversy was less about truth and more about rallying traditionalist Catholics against a perceived Vatican agenda.
Engagement Farming and the Traditionalist Audience
Montagna’s approach taps into a broader phenomenon within traditionalist Catholic media: engagement farming. Traditionalist Catholics, often skeptical of Vatican II and modern Church leadership, are a receptive audience for narratives of betrayal or conspiracy. Montagna’s claims about Traditionis Custodes—framed as exposing Vatican lies—resonate with this group’s distrust of Pope Francis, whom some view as hostile to tradition. By presenting selective evidence and framing it as a “BOMBSHELL,” Montagna generated significant online traction, with her X post reaching 1 million views. This aligns with the dynamics of social media, where provocative content drives clicks, shares, and subscriptions, even if it lacks full substantiation.
The traditionalist Catholic community’s appetite for such narratives often prioritizes gossip over facts. Comments on platforms like CatholicVote.org reveal a tendency to embrace Montagna’s claims without scrutiny, with users decrying Pope Francis as a “heretic” or celebrating the supposed exposure of Vatican deceit. This reaction reflects a confirmation bias, where traditionalists seek validation of their belief that the Vatican is suppressing the Extraordinary Form unjustly. Montagna’s failure to provide the full report or address counterevidence, such as the French survey, feeds this bias, as her audience is less likely to demand rigorous proof and more likely to accept her narrative as truth.
The Role of Deceit and Selective Reporting
While Montagna’s supporters view her as a truth-teller, critics argue her reporting is misleading. A critical analysis on Sacerdotus.com accuses her of “deliberate falsehoods” through selective use of evidence and omission of countervailing data, such as the French survey’s findings on Extraordinary Form-related divisions. The site notes that her reliance on the Ecclesia Dei Commission’s summary, which may have been biased toward the Extraordinary Form, undermines her claim of exposing Vatican lies. Furthermore, her dismissal of Bruni’s statement about additional reports, without evidence to disprove their existence, suggests a predetermined narrative rather than objective journalism.
Montagna’s silence since July 2025 reinforces this critique. If her claims were as groundbreaking as she asserted, one would expect continued pressure on the Vatican to release the full survey or a response to Bruni’s statement. Instead, her shift to other topics suggests that the Traditionis Custodes controversy served as a vehicle for attention rather than a genuine pursuit of truth. This pattern is evident in her earlier 2021 reporting, which made similar claims but lacked follow-through, indicating a recurring strategy of dropping sensational stories without resolution.
The Broader Implications
Montagna’s case highlights a troubling trend in Catholic media: the exploitation of liturgical and doctrinal disputes to fuel division and engagement. Traditionalist Catholics, feeling marginalized by Traditionis Custodes, are particularly vulnerable to narratives that cast the Vatican as the villain. While some of Montagna’s points—such as the survey’s positive comments about the Extraordinary Form—may have merit, her selective presentation and failure to engage with counterevidence undermine her credibility. Her silence since July 2025 further suggests that her goal was not to foster dialogue or reform but to capitalize on traditionalist outrage.
This dynamic has broader implications for the Church. The polarization between traditionalists and those supportive of Vatican II’s reforms is exacerbated by such reporting, which thrives on division rather than unity. Pope Francis’s stated goal in Traditionis Custodes was to address liturgical disunity, yet sensationalist narratives like Montagna’s deepen the divide, portraying traditionalists as victims of a deceitful Vatican. The lack of follow-up from Montagna and her supporters also points to a missed opportunity for constructive dialogue, such as advocating for the full survey’s release or engaging with Pope Leo XIV’s administration to revisit the issue.
Conclusion
Diane Montagna’s claims about Pope Francis misrepresenting the 2020 bishops’ survey in Traditionis Custodes sparked significant controversy, but her silence since July 2025 reveals the fragility of her narrative. By selectively presenting evidence, ignoring counterpoints like the French survey, and failing to sustain her critique, Montagna appears to have engaged in deceitful reporting aimed at farming engagement from traditionalist Catholics. Her audience, prone to embracing gossip over facts, amplified her claims without demanding rigor, perpetuating a cycle of sensationalism. This case underscores the need for Catholics to approach such controversies with discernment, prioritizing truth over divisive narratives. As the Church navigates the legacy of Traditionis Custodes, honest dialogue, not engagement farming, is essential for healing and unity.
Sources:
- Sacerdotus:
Sacerdotus: Critical Analysis of Diane Montagna's Article and Claims Regarding Traditionis Custodes
Sacerdotus: Diane Montagna Rehashes the Same Lies
Sacerdotus: Diane Montagna & 'Traditionalists' Lied about Pope Francis
Sacerdotus: Diane Montagna On World Over - Vetting Her Claims
- CatholicVote.org: Vatican correspondent releases further evidence
- California Catholic Daily: Cracks revealed in Vatican anti-Latin Mass directive
- AKACatholic.com: Diane Montagna’s Empty BOMBSHELL UPDATE: Montagna’s BOMBSHELL still empty -
- CatholicVote.org: Vatican correspondent reports ‘major cracks’
- Anthony Esolen on X, July 2, 2025
- Dr. Peter Kwasniewski on X, July 10, 2025
